Hunt’s latest 5AM Limitless aero wheels reshape their fastest aerodynamically-optimized Limitless carbon road wheelset with front- & rear-specific rims designed to go faster with modern 28-30mm wide tires. And go fast they do. Hunt’s wind tunnel aerodynamics testing shows significant drag reduction from 1.7-4.4W vs. the top aero wheels from DT, ENVE, Roval, Scope & Reserve. Plus, real-world aero road tests showed even bigger gains!
But while aerodynamics drives their rim shapes, it’s the integrated system engineering approach that Hunt took with this project that keeps total wheelset weight so low. Leveraging a lighter rear rim, UD carbon spokes, and titanium hardware, Hunt keeps the 5AM Limitless wheels to just 1212g for the pair – wildly light for a 58mm/55mm deep aero wheelset!
Hunt 5AM Limitless ultralight aero wheels with carbon spokes
Hunt says their new 5AM Limitless Ti_UD Carbon Spoke aero road wheels are best suited for “high speed racing environments on flat and rolling courses”.
But at 1212g, these aerodynamic wheels are lighter than many climbers’ wheels, making for some seriously fast all-rounders.
Where does the early morning name come from?
Since their first Limitless wheels in 2019, Hunt has looked at aero wheel design from a more holistic approach. More than an aero rim combined with aero components, or even a single aero wheel, Hunt has developed their Limitless R&D process into what they describe as a 5-stage process:
- First, CFD development.
- Then, they go through three aero optimization steps in the GST & Silverstone wind tunnels: initially, single wheel-only wind tunnel tests to validate CFD data; next, wheel in bike testing to confirm wind interaction between wheel, fork & frame; and last, wind tunnel testing with a real pedaling rider to better approximate real riding conditions.
- Finally, Hunt validates their new wheels in real-world outdoor test riding using sensor-based aerodynamic testing with AeroSensor – a key step they say quantifies rotational drag impacts accurately, “showing the impressive reduction… achieve[d] through reduced front wheel spoke count and hidden spoke nipples“.
As for the AM, that comes from the different “Aero Maximised” rim profiles front & rear.
What’s actually new?
At the core of the new Hunt 5AM Limitless wheels are two completely different rims with the same 23mm hooked tubeless inner width. The front is 58mm deep x 34.5mm external with Hunt’s patented Limitless aero shape to keep airflow attached at higher yaw angles so you get controllable handling & stability, even when racing in challenging wind conditions. Plus, their special low-density polymer filler, which lets them build the rim out wide like that, without adding a lot of extra weight. The rear wheel is shallower at 55mm deep, and just 30mm external, where it cuts through already choppy air, allowing Hunt to save weight on the pair.
By building the new 5AM Limitless wheels with high tensile strength, aero-bladed Vonoa Ti_UD carbon spokes (and internal nipples), Hunt was able to further reduce weight and spoke count. They needed just 15 carbon spokes up front & only 18 in the back wheel, shaving grams and smoothing airflow compared to conventionally-spoked wheels.
How much faster are the new Hunt 5AM Limitless wheels?
Hunt is quite transparent in their aerodynamic testing, both sharing the test protocols they used and then sharing their results in publicly available white papers.
Read the full in-depth whitepaper, here.
- “Wind tunnel testing shows the system 4.35 watts faster than ENVE 4.5 Pro, and faster than Roval Rapide Sprint and Scope Artech 6 wheels with 30mm tyres.” – in the Silverstone wind tunnel
- “Outdoor testing shows up to an 8.5-watt advantage over Zipp 404 Firecrest, and a 5.9-watt advantage over the Scope Artech 6 with 30mm tyres.” – on the Dunsfold runway, with Dr. Barnaby Garrood at AeroSensor
Tech details
- aerodynamic carbon rims made from a mix of T700, T800 & T1000 UD carbon fibers
- plus low-density high-mod Mitsubishi Pyrofil HR 40 12M fiber filler in the front rim
- 58mm deep x 34.5mm wide front wheel
- 55mm deep x 30mm wide rear wheel
- 23mm internal hooked tubeless carbon rims, front & rear
- high-gloss finish for easy cleaning
- 15 front &18 rear Ti_UD Vonoa aero bladed carbon spokes with 6AL-4V titanium hardware
- CNC-machined 7075-T6 Hunt Chase SLC centerlock disc brake hubs
- 48T, 7.5° engagement H_Ratchet DBL freehub
- sealed stainless steel or hybrid (ceramic balls + stainless races) CeramicSpeed bearings
- optimized aerodynamics for 28mm-30mm tires
- ETRTO compatible with 28-50mm tires, tubeless or clincher
- 1212g claimed wheelset weight
- UCI approved
Hunt 5AM Limitless aero wheel – Pricing, options & availability
Hunt’s new super-fast, ultralight aero carbon 5AM Limitless Ti_UD Carbon Spoke wheels are available to pre-order now in two configurations. With premium stainless steel bearings a set of wheels will cost you £1999 / $2599 / 2349€. Or if you upgrade to lower-friction (unreleased) hybrid CeramicSpeed bearings, the 5AM Limitless wheels sell for £2489 / $3199 / 2899€.
These are the fastest wheels Hunt has ever made, but you’ll have to wait until the second half of May (about six weeks from now) to ride them. Pre-order now and pay either a hundred bucks to lock in your wheelset, or pay now in full. And they’ll be in stock in Hunts UK, US & EU distribution centers in the second half of next month.
